Thaindian News

Bangalore, March 21 (IANS) Kyra Shroff scripted another commendable win, beating Nicole Clerico of Italy 6-3, 6-3, in 90 minutes to enter the quarter-finals of the QNet ITF Open women’s tennis championship at the KSLTA Stadium here Wednesday.

The lone surviving Indian player, whose best effort in singles was a semi-finalist spot in the Delhi leg of the $10,000 ITF tournament last year, once again came up with a very positive display to emerge victor.

The ability to strike the ball hard on both flanks and uncanny anticipation for returns and timing proved Kyra’s assets though she put herself under pressure at times dropping serve. But she recovered from each setback with renewed vigour to outhit her Italian rival, who was weighed down by half a dozen double faults.

Kyra seized the initiative in the first set, breaking Nicole in the second game and took a 3-0 lead, but dropped serve in the fifth. The two traded breaks in the next two games with Kyra winning sixth and Nicole the seventh.

Kyra decisively struck in the eighth game after Nicole, with a double fault and two miss hits on the back hand, dropped the game and gave Kyra a 5-4 lead. Kyra then held serve to take the set with a forehand winner.

In the second set, Nicole led 3-1 and 40-15 on Kyra’s serve, but the Indian fought back and also did not allow a code violation for receiving coaching from Prahlad Srinath to upset her. She forced deuce and took the game before winning the next four games on the trot for the match.

Kyra takes on top seed Nungnadda Wannasuk from Thailand, who beat Keren Shlomo (Israel) 6-4, 6-1. The Thai girl was in some trouble negotiating Shlomo’s double-handed backhand, but there was no doubting her superiority.

Unseeded Melis Sezer of Turkey outlasted the fifth seed Tadeja Majeric of Slovakia 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (6) in a marathon tussle which lasted three hours and 10 minutes.

The 15-year old Croatian Donna Vekic, continued her impressive run, blasting sixth seed Aleksandrina Naydenova of Bulgaria 6-4, 6-4.

The results:

Singles (second round): Melanie Klaffner (AUT) bt Jovana Jaksic (SRB) 6-3, 2-6, 6-0; Kyra Shroff (IND) bt Nicole Clerico (ITA) 6-3, 6-3; Melis Sezer (TUR) bt Tadeja Majeric (SLO) 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (6); Andrea Koch-Benvenuto (CHI) bt Anja Prislan (SLO) 7-5, 6-0; Tamaryn Hendler (BEL) bt Keren Shlomo (ISR) 6-4, 6-1; Nungnadda Wannasuk (THA) bt Sung-Hee Han (KOR) 6-2, 1-6, 6-2; Akiko Omae (JPN) bt Ai Wen Zhu (CHN) 6-3, 6-3; Donna Vekic (CRO) bt Aleksandrina Naydenova (BUL) 6-4, 6-4.

Doubles (quarter-finals): Rushmi Chakravarthi / Ankita Raina(IND) bt Martina Caciotti / Agnese Zucchini (ITA) 7-6 (4), 6-3; Deniz Khazaniuk (ISR) / Ya Zhou (CHN) bt Sung-Hee Han (KOR) / Keren SHLOMO (ISR) 7-5, 7-6 (4); Tamaryn Hendler (BEL) / Melanie Klaffner (AUT) bt Tamara Curovic Urovic (SRB) / Rishika Sunkara (IND) 6-4, 6-4.